Ohio DOs Receive Awards During the OOA Convention

Twelve OOA members received special recognition from the Ohio Osteopathic Association during the OOA convention in Sandusky.

E. Thomas Harnish, DO, of Newton Falls, received the Distinguished Service Award, the OOA's highest honor for an osteopathic physician. Dr. Harnish was cited for more than 40 years of dedicated service to the profession. In addition to serving as OOA President during 1987-88, he has also been active in many Warren civic activities. He intermittently served on the Board of the Trumball County Chapter of the American Red Cross for 30 years and was elected to the organization's hall of fame. He also served on the boards of the Eastern Ohio Lung Association, American Heart Association, Warren Symphony Society and the Newton Falls Board of Education, including four years as president, and two terms on the Newton Falls City Council.

Richard J. Snow, DO, of Columbus, received the Trustees Award. A national authority on medical quality issues, Dr. Snow was recognized for his work as director of the American Osteopathic Clinical Assessment Program (CAP), which engages physicians in evaluating clinical outcomes. He served on the original task force in 1997 that studied practice standards and created the CAP program, and has been instrumental to its success. He has been recognized for his work by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, and received their prestigious Codman Award for the use of process and outcomes measures to improve organization performance and quality of care. In 2005, a three-page article in the Health IT Strategists lauded Dr. Snow as architect of the CAP program. He also received an AOA Presidential Citation in 2005 for outstanding leadership.

Mary Schreck received the OOA Meritorious Service Award, which is the highest recognition given to an individual who is not an osteopathic physician. Mrs. Schreck, who served four years as President of the Advocates for the Ohio Osteopathic Association, is actively involved with the Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program. She has made dozens of presentations to schools and other organizations and has personally helped distribute more than 15,000 "lifeline cards". The national Advocates recognized Mary's suicide prevention work in 2002 with an Emme Award and an Extra Mile Award. In addition to her own children, Mary and Edward W. Schreck, DO, have been parents to 20 foster children.

Donald R. Furci, DO, of Columbus, received the M. Bridget Wagner, DO, Humanitarian Award for his humanitarian efforts in Central America. He began his mission work in 1984, when he spent three months in southern India providing medical care and guiding plans for a new hospital. He subsequently began annual trips to Belize, which he has coordinated through his church in Grove City for the past 10 years. He also developed an international medicine rotation and takes about 20 healthcare professionals with him each year. Dr. Furci was installed as President of the Columbus Academy of Osteopathic Medicine in May.

Nine DOs received Life Membership Awards: Norman E. Armstrong, DO, of Troy; Elliott P. Feldman, DO, of Columbus; Carl R. Gillette, DO, of Warren; John W. Gillota, DO, of Medina; Richard N. McCarty, DO, of Groveport; William Ritchey, DO, of Akron; Harry A. Stenzel, DO, of Sandusky; Scott R. Swope, DO, of Springboro; and Ronald J. Zarzycki, DO, of Powell.

Other awards were presented to OOA Executive Director Jon F. Wills, who received the AOOA Osteopathic Spirit Award and Leonard D. Kohn, MD, a researcher at OU-COM, who received the JO Watson, DO, Memorial Lecture Award.

Winners of the OOA-CORE Poster Exhibition were Rachel Holt, OMS II; Bryan Hooks, DO; Joseph M. Novi, DO; and Nathanael S. Brady, DO.

Three exhibitors won awards: CardioDynamics was named Most Educational Exhibit; AstraZeneca took home the Judges Choice Award; and Sanofi-Aventis won Best Overall Exhibit.

Bryan Kuns, DO, took home the Convention Grand Prize of $2500. Charles G. VonderEmbse, DO, won second prize, a luxury stay at the Hilton Columbus, and third prize was won by Katherine Richmond, DO.

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